Colorado DUIs Involving Marijuana Go Down Slightly In 2015

Legal recreational marijuana sales started in January 2014. That same month Colorado State Patrol started keeping track of driving under the influence arrests involving marijuana to try to spot any trends. Compared to 2014, 2015 saw a slight decrease, which I’m sure isn’t welcomed news to marijuana opponents who predicted mayhem on the roadways once legal recreational marijuana sales began. Per the Durango Herald:

Beginning in January 2014, Colorado State Patrol began tracking marijuana-related citations in an effort to identify trends. The data showed a 1.3 percent decrease from 2014 to 2015 for DUI and DUID citations involving marijuana.

Out of 4,546 citations issued for DUI/DUID in 2015, there were 347 in which marijuana was the sole indicator, and 665 instances where marijuana was one of the indicators.

But a mere two years of data collection doesn’t point to a conclusion.

“From those numbers, we know very little. They were released to provide insight,” CSP Trooper Josh Lewis said. “We don’t know if we’re going to start seeing an increase or a decrease. When we get two, three, four more years of data, we’ll find those first two years could be very different. We don’t know what way it will be trending.”

How much do you want to bet that when there is ‘two, three, four more years of data’ that CSP Trooper Josh Lewis will be saying the same thing? I don’t see why if there wasn’t an increase from 2014 to 2015 that there all of a sudden will be down the road. But I guess time will ultimately tell. In the meantime, I will look at this as a good thing, and that legalized recreational sales don’t result in a dramatic increase in DUIs involving marijuana.

The number of DUI’s is important, but the number of deaths and serious injuries is more important. Was anyone in Colorado charged with causing that while UI cannabis?

Duncan20903

Do you realize that most fatals or collisions resulting in severe physical injury are caused by people who are sober as the proverbial judge? The fact that there were cannabis addled drivers involved in fatal or severe injury collisions is meaningless by itself. We’re allowed to have the same rate as sober drivers before one can start thinking that being a cannabis addled driver causes collisions.

You make a valid point about the need to compare the accident rate for people who have used weed compared to those who haven’t used anything. But the general public may not see it that way. Any serious accident that can be blamed on weed is terrible publicity for the cause of legalization. Even the example you cite could hurt us, even though alcohol is very probably the culprit.

Duncan20903

I like the one I linked because it includes an LEO stating unequivocally that a driver with high levels of active THC in her blood was not at fault. It also demonstrates an example of the argument that drivers in cases of DUI-cannabis are all but exclusively also impaired by other substances.

There’s no doubt that collisions like the ones you’ve asked about are going to happen. There’s no doubt that they’re going to be publicly reported because the sycophants are actively seeking them out.

saynotohypocrisy

Yes, I noted with satisfaction that comment by the LEO in the link you gave.

AntiIgnorant

But I thought everyone was supposed to be driving stoned and killing everyone?!? I mean, according to all the prohibitionists DUI projections, Colorado should almost have no people left… mass chaos and destruction… bodies pilling up so high they can’t bury people fast enough. Colorado, the epicenter of the apocalypse?

Freaking prohibitionist morons. They lie and lie and know they lie… when will people stop being gullible and realize cannabis is SAFER than alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceuticals?

exbioman

But news reports there are more homeless in Colorado. Brought by legalization. More homeless people bring more theft. And lawbreaking? What is the truth there? Also, the way government keep increasing taxes I’m preparing a homeless strategy! The commander in chief has a $10 a crude oil barrel tax bill he wants to pass. You know the clique- pass it while the price is low and no one will notice. Just the way Gov. Corbett passed the Pa. $.28 a gallon gas tax before he left. Wolfe has a sales tax increase bill in the Senate. But nothing for Cannabis/Hemp legalization and regulation. I call Pa. the Fred Flintstone state. It always has been.

Scott Eaton

The weed must not be good enough for the Reefer Madness syndrome

MrPC

I’m pretty sure that’s not the problem.

exbioman

But news reports there are more homeless in Colorado. Brought by legalization. More homeless people bring more theft. And lawbreaking? What is the truth there? Also, the way government keeps increasing taxes I’m preparing a homeless strategy! The commander in chief has a $10 a crude oil barrel tax bill he wants to pass. You know the clique- pass it while the price is low and no one will notice. Just the way Gov. Corbett passed the Pa. $.28 a gallon gas tax before he left.
Wolfe has a sales tax increase bill in the Senate. But nothing for Cannabis/Hemp legalization and regulation. I call Pa. the Fred Flintstone state. It always has been.

Scott Eaton

Since when is there a DUID detector ?

Duncan20903

Authorities have been enforcing DUI laws against drivers impaired by drinking alcohol since 1910. The breathalyzer was invented in 1954.

MrPC

A better question: Is the number of alcohol-related DUIs going up or down since recreational cannabis became legal in Colorado? My guess is there are fewer people getting too drunk to drive.

Duncan20903

The CSP reported that total arrests for DUI declined by exactly 1000 from 5,546 in 2014 to 4,546 in 2015.

MrPC

an amazing drop in DUI arrests! Hope other states notice those numbers.

Scott Eaton

How many people smoked a joint and went straight to shooting Heroin is what I want to know or how many 4th graders got ADDICTED from it and now are in a mental institution with the shakes ?

exbioman

And what is your weed? I’d like the chance to be an informed consumer. Black market purchasing SUX.

exbioman

So my post about Colorado homeless and Pa. government having no cannabis/hemp legislation was flagged? But online homeworking scammers post on this site. VERY INTERESTING. ;-P

Did anyone notice that reported sales of cannabis in compliance with Colorado law increased just a little under 42.5% year over year? Isn’t the claim that increased availability will result in increased cannabis addled highway mayhem in the hysterical rhetoric regurgitated by the sycophants of prohibition?